Press Release

Highmark's New Tiered Benefit In North Central Pennsylvania Is Designed To Lower Health Care Costs For Businesses

March 21, 2013

CAMP HILL – Highmark Blue Shield is offering a new benefit in nine counties in north central Pennsylvania designed to hold down health insurance costs while maintaining provider choice. The benefit is available to group customers in Centre, Columbia, Juniata, Mifflin, Montour, Northumberland, Schuylkill, Snyder and Union counties beginning on July 1. The product, Community Blue Premier Flex, may be expanded in the future to other counties within Highmark's service area.

Community Blue Premier Flex members receive enhanced value benefits, or pay less, if they choose a hospital or doctor that provides care at a more efficient price. Hospitals at this level include Evangelical Community Hospital, Health South Rehabilitation Center, Lewistown Hospital, Mount Nittany Medical Center, Schuylkill Medical Center, St Luke's Miners Memorial Hospital and Sunbury Community Hospital.

"The number one question from businesses is how can we lower our health care costs; this kind of product helps give them cost savings choices," said Steven Nelson, Highmark senior vice president of product, marketing and strategy. "We estimate that employers can save up to 20 percent on their premium costs depending on the group's current utilization."

Community Blue Premier Flex lowers costs by offering a benefit design that incents members to use lower cost providers without compromising quality.

To help members understand the difference in overall health care costs among providers, Highmark has a number of transparency tools on its member website where members can compare estimated costs among providers for many common procedures.

Strategy details for this new benefit are under review by the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

About Highmark Blue ShieldHighmark Blue Shield serves approximately 1 million members through the company's health care benefits business and employs nearly 4,000 people in central Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley. Highmark Blue Shield is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an association of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies. For more information about Highmark Blue Shield, visit www.highmark.com.

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association is a national federation of 37 independent, community-based and locally-operated Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies that collectively provide healthcare coverage for
nearly 105 million
members – one-in-three Americans. For more information on the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and its member companies, please visit bcbs.com. We encourage you to connect with us on Facebook, check out our videos on YouTube, follow us on Twitter and check out The BCBS Blog, for up-to-date information about BCBSA.